


The Iron Monster

by EdoEclipse



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU, Anime, Cheese, Dark Stuff, F/M, Gajeel is a bit rapey acting at first...sowwy, Gajevy - Freeform, I throw cheese on top of all of my anime fics, Love, Manga, Phantom Lord, Romance, alternate plot twist, cheesy stuff, evil Gajeel goes good in a different way, gajevy all the friggin way, if you don't ship Gajevy then go home, it does get dark sometimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 22:10:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13556601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdoEclipse/pseuds/EdoEclipse
Summary: What if Phantom Lord wasn't defeated by Fairy Tail? What if Phantom Lord won? This is the account of a parallel universe in which Phantom Lord beat Fairy Tail in battle. Gajeel Redfox, the evil, monstrous, most powerful wizard in Phantom Lord claims his prize for winning, and the prize is Fairy Tail's bookworm, Levy McGarden.





	1. Prologue

When most thought of mage guilds, they pictured a group of powerful mages that would sacrifice their own lives for the innocent. They pictured hot-headed teenagers who thought of themselves to be the most powerful in the world. They pictured all of these things, but in reality, not all guilds were this way. Some preferred...a more evil approach when it came to getting the jobs done. These were the dark guilds, guilds that only the brave or foolish trusted with their requests.

And out of all of the dark guilds in the Fiore area, Phantom Lord was undoubtedly the strongest. The reason being was that they had their own secret weapon, a weapon that only the luckiest of guilds could ever dream of possessing.

A dragon slayer.

And not just any dragon slayer, but a first generation dragon slayer, which are rumored to be the absolute strongest. He was a dragon of the iron arts, able to wield and crush with his heavy metal powers. This dragon slayer was so powerful-even his own guild members feared him. They all cleared the way when he passed by, and they even avoided making eye contact with him, much less speaking to him. Only the foolish would dare mock him, tease him-as it resulted with their head crushed through the concrete-like walls. At that rate, even the most idiotic members knew better than to mess with their most feared guild member.

The only one of Phantom Lord's residents who didn't fear the dragon slayer was the master himself, Jose Porla. He had found Gajeel when he was a mere child, alone and deathly afraid of everything and anyone. Though he didn't show his fear by shivering or crying-more along threatening people and growling at others. He enjoyed the temper that the child had, and invited him to join his guild. Without a place to go, how could the child refuse? It was also on this day, that Gajeel's dragon slayer magic was made known to everyone.

But now, there was a new request that required the guild of Phantom Lord to work together. A man had stopped by, an urgent request at hand. He wanted his daughter back, though his tone showed no care or love towards his daughter at that moment. Jose could care less, happy with the price that the man was willing to pay for the return of his daughter. What made Jose even more excited was the fact of who the girl was: Lucy Heartfilia. He'd heard the name before, knowing that this girl was apart of the very guild he despised.

Fairy Tail...

He hated Makarov, still furious over the fight that he had lost with him a few years ago. Though he was told by others that there was no need to hold a grudge towards the old mage, Jose couldn't simply let it go. He wanted revenge, and this...this made for a perfect opportunity.


	2. Chapter 2

Fairy Tail was outnumbered.

Many of Fairy Tail's members were now unconscious, the guild greatly miscalculating Phantom Lord's strength. Gray was defeated, as well as Erza, Mirajane, Elfman...so many.

Natsu was still standing strong, his urge to free Lucy overpowering his own health. The blonde was his mate, but he didn't know how to explain the concept to her yet. They were the best of friends, but he wanted more, craved more. But he would have to deal with that subject at a later time.

His opponent was also still energized, his body covered with iron scales. Iron talons replaced his usual human nails. Natsu narrowed his eyes towards the iron dragon slayer, determined to win this battle. His hands lit up in flames, his soul energized with the feeling of his fire dragon slaying magic. It shouldn't be much of a battle after all. Fire obviously wins over iron, right? Gajeel Redfox should be no challenge for the pink head.

"Gihi, ya can't stop me Salamander. I'm the best dragon slayer around!" he boasted, laughing towards the fire dragon slayer.

Natsu growled. "That's the biggest lie I've ever heard, Metal Head!"

They clashed against one another, growing at each other as a failed intimidation act. Natsu's strength was failing, as Gajeel overpowered him and knocked him across the room.

"Natsu!" Lucy called out, tears threatening to form.

Happy was already crying, tears soaking his blue fur. "If only Natsu had fire to eat! His strength would come back!"

Lucy gasped as she thought of an idea. Reaching for her keys, she was prepared to call upon one of her celestial spirits. However, a large chunk of the guild's wall slammed into Lucy, knocking her out completely.

"Lucy, no!" Happy yelled out, more tears streaming from his eyes now.

Hearing Happy's frightened voice towards Lucy, Natsu glanced their way, his eyes widening when he discovered that Lucy was unconscious, the side of her head bleeding. Not paying attention anymore, Gajeel took this as the perfect opportunity. Changing his arm into an iron club, he punched Natsu, sending him slamming against the wall, knocking him out as well.

Gajeel glanced around, noticing that every Fairy Tail member was knocked out. He laughed, smiling evilly at the scene in front of him. "We won! We beat this no good wimpy guild!"

Walking away from the room, he suddenly noticed that there was a rather lovely scent mixed in with the normal scent of destruction and blood-or well, at least normal for him anyways. The iron dragon slayer was quickly becoming addicted to this scent, deciding to follow the scent trail. It led him into the Fairy Tail basement, the scent becoming stronger and stronger as he walked along. What confused Gajeel was that this scent was not only addicting but also very familiar. He knew this scent from somewhere, but he just couldn't quite figure this little mystery out.

Opening the door to what looked like an infirmary room, the slayer's eyes widened when he discovered what-or who really-the scent belonged to. Laying down in one of the infirmary beds, sleeping peacefully, was the little shrimp that he bolted to a tree with her stupid fanboys. Her scent was calling to him, awakening the beast within him. He cursed under his breath when he realized what was going on. This little blunette, this...this victim of Gajeel's wrath, was the iron dragon's mate. Immediately, regret and guild filled Gajeel's soul, but he quickly ignored it. Smirking darkly, he picked the little blunette up, cradling her into his chest. The cruel smirk of his remained upon his face. He won the battle against Fairy Tail, so why not claim his own personal reward?

Setting her back down, he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the desk up front, writing a sloppy letter to all of the members of Fairy Tail.

Fairy Brats,

If ya wanna know where yer little shrimp went, I got her now. And ya ain't gonna get her back, because ya can't now gihi! She's my mate, and just ask that stupid Salamander about it. He'll tell ya that ya can't get this little shrimp back......so don't even try gihi!

It wasn't a very creative or threatening letter, but it was the best that Gajeel could do. Picking the small woman back up, he walked out of the infirmary room, leaving her two companions alone. Stepping over the rubble, the pierced man took this silent moment to have a look over at his mate. She was incredibly beautiful, in a nerdy, adorable way. Her hair was frizzy, but it had a nice wave to it. And her unique light blue hair color was greatly approved by his inner dragon. Her body was very curvy for her small height, and it pleased Gajeel greatly. A smirk formed on his lips at all the things that he could do with his new mate, whether she wanted to or not. She'll eventually grow to accept him as the mating bond grows stronger. But in order for the bond to increase between them both, Gajeel will have to care for her, prove to her that he was a suitable mate. However, with this latest request, he knew that this particular part in the mating process would take a very long time.

Speaking of request, he remembered that someone needed to grab the busty blonde. Glancing towards the area where the blonde had fallen, he saw Totomaru slinging her over his back.

"Why are you taking that one too? New order that I didn't get?" the black and white-haired man asked.

Gajeel shook his head. "No, this one's for me personally. Just grab the blonde. We need to get out of here before anyone wakes up, 'specially Salamander."

Nodding in agreement, both men quickly exited the guild, each with a girl in their arms. Though the reasons why differed obviously.

Allowing Totomaru to walk far ahead of him, Gajeel stopped for a moment, nuzzling into his mate's neck and biting her, marking her as his mate. Though the mark won't be permanent until they fully complete the process, he knew that she wouldn't let him near her neck while awake.

Snickering at the idea of the woman attempting to push his advances away, the tall dragon slayer walked on.

He honestly couldn't wait for his mate to wake up.


	3. Chapter 3

-Levy-

My head was killing me.

The last image that I could picture in my head was of that tall, frightening looking man. He had pinned Jet, Droy, and myself on a tree that we were passing by. He hurt me as well, very badly, throwing punches at my face and stomach. I knew that I wasn't the strongest woman out there, far from the strength of Erza or even Lucy. So this, this demon more than likely killed me. Perhaps that was why I couldn't open my eyes. Perhaps I was entering into the after-life.

But...why could I smell something so...good? It was a nice, earthy metal smell, but why was it so familiar as well? I could have sworn that I've encountered this smell from somewhere, but where exactly?

"Oi! I ain't gonna let ya sleep all day ya know," a gruff voice growled in my ear.

Instantly, I shot up in the...bed that I was in. At least I thought it was a bed. Rubbing my ear, I looked around the room, noticing with concern that I have never been here before. The walls were an iron-grey color, with the floor being worn wood. There was nothing around other than the bed I was in and a metal desk that was completely covered with what appeared to be job requests. Though, I only observed half of the room.

A sigh was heard next to me, which caused me to squeak and snap my head towards the right. When my eyes fell on the owner of that sigh, my heart stopped instantly. Fear rose from within me, and I let out a blood-curdling scream. Clumsily, I fell out of the rather tall bed and crawled backward into a corner, ignoring the pain in my stomach and shoulders. Quickly, I covered my face and curled up against the wall, sobbing loudly.

I knew him all too well. It was that scary demon man, the one that crucified my friends and I to the tree! He brought me back to his house, but why? Perhaps pinning me up and knocking me out wasn't good enough for him. He's going to kill me, that's what!

Arms wrapped themselves around me, causing me to jerk violently and scream again.

"No! No, stay away from me you demon! Stay away!" I sobbed out, gasping when a hand dragged my hand away from my face.

The demon man stared down at me, his eyes cold, yet there was another emotion fighting to emerge, but what? His lips curled into a smirk as he let out a small laugh.

"I don't know where ya got the idea that I'm a demon, little girl. I'm Gajeel Redfox, the iron dragon slayer, but I'm sure ya heard of me from somewhere," he boasted.

My hazel eyes widened. Of course! His appearance matched the description that I read of in a small article. He was Phantom Lord's most powerful S-Class wizard, being a dragon slayer and all. "Y-you're Gajeel Redfox?"

Why would I ask him that? I knew who he was, and I only made myself look even more stupid in front of him.

He picked me up suddenly, setting me on his bed. "The one and only, gihi!"

Tears were still streaming from my eyes. I still hadn't a clue as to what he was planning to do with me.

His pierced eyebrows raised, as if curious. "Why'ya still cryin'? I ain't gonna murder ya or anything like that."

I cowered away from him, and I somehow managed enough courage to speak to the terrifying looking man. "Then what are you going to do to me?"

"Nothin', it's what ya do to me. Yer my mate, Shrimpy, so all ya gotta do is do what I say and yer good. I ain't gonna mess with ya or nothin'. Yer just here to be my mate and give me strong offspring...though by the looks of ya, you better hope yer shrimpy genes don't get in one of my brats," he explained to me, his grammar nearly giving me a headache. Who taught this beast how to speak?...wait, did he...mate?!

Glancing into his eyes, I again found them cold and emotionless. "A mate?"

He nodded. "Dragonslayers have mates, just like dragons. And you, Shrimp, are mine. That means ya can't go back to yer stupid little Fairy guild anymore. It's ancient law. Salamander shoulda said somethin' about it at one point in his stupid life..."

I snorted, without thinking. "Natsu is a good guy, but his intelligence isn't his strongest aspect."

'Just like you,' I wanted to add on, but I knew better.

A blush, unfortunately, formed on my cheeks when he laughed. "Yer a good mate for insulting the pink-headed brat, gihi!"

Despite my fears toward him, I glared at him. "I wasn't insulting him! I was merely stating the truth! For example, I'm intelligent, but I'm weak in the fighting aspect. You're just like Natsu, having the intelligence of a five-year-old!"

My eyes widened when I realized that I went completely too far, not knowing where that boost of confidence came from. It didn't help that he suddenly pinned me against his bed, causing me to squeak in fear. His eyes were blazing red, evil aura flowing from his figure. I gulped, knowing that he would more than likely hurt me.

Surprisingly, he merely sniffed my neck. Then, he bit it, causing me to wince at the slight pain. However, a strange form of pleasure overtook the pain, causing me to sigh in content. I tried to stop myself, reminding myself that he was the enemy, who also kidnapped me!

Leaning back, he chuckled darkly. "Remember yer place, mate. I'm yer master, and you do as I say. But...until Master Jose and the rest of those idiots know who ya are, yer stuck in my house. But I have food stocked up fer ya."

Leaning down, he kissed me possessively and aggressively, causing me to gasp. This gave the iron dragon slayer a perfect opportunity to deepen the kiss. I tried with all of my might to fight back, but he overpowered me easily. Tears streamed down my eyes.

This...this monster stole my first kiss from me!


	4. Chapter 4

-Levy-

My head was killing me.

The last image that I could picture in my head was of that tall, frightening looking man. He had pinned Jet, Droy, and myself on a tree that we were passing by. He hurt me as well, very badly, throwing punches at my face and stomach. I knew that I wasn't the strongest woman out there, far from the strength of Erza or even Lucy. So this, this demon more than likely killed me. Perhaps that was why I couldn't open my eyes. Perhaps I was entering into the after-life.

But...why could I smell something so...good? It was a nice, earthy metal smell, but why was it so familiar as well? I could have sworn that I've encountered this smell from somewhere, but where exactly?

"Oi! I ain't gonna let ya sleep all day ya know," a gruff voice growled in my ear.

Instantly, I shot up in the...bed that I was in. At least I thought it was a bed. Rubbing my ear, I looked around the room, noticing with concern that I have never been here before. The walls were an iron-grey color, with the floor being worn wood. There was nothing around other than the bed I was in and a metal desk that was completely covered with what appeared to be job requests. Though, I only observed half of the room.

A sigh was heard next to me, which caused me to squeak and snap my head towards the right. When my eyes fell on the owner of that sigh, my heart stopped instantly. Fear rose from within me, and I let out a blood-curdling scream. Clumsily, I fell out of the rather tall bed and crawled backward into a corner, ignoring the pain in my stomach and shoulders. Quickly, I covered my face and curled up against the wall, sobbing loudly.

I knew him all too well. It was that scary demon man, the one that crucified my friends and I to the tree! He brought me back to his house, but why? Perhaps pinning me up and knocking me out wasn't good enough for him. He's going to kill me, that's what!

Arms wrapped themselves around me, causing me to jerk violently and scream again.

"No! No, stay away from me you demon! Stay away!" I sobbed out, gasping when a hand dragged my hand away from my face.

The demon man stared down at me, his eyes cold, yet there was another emotion fighting to emerge, but what? His lips curled into a smirk as he let out a small laugh.

"I don't know where ya got the idea that I'm a demon, little girl. I'm Gajeel Redfox, the iron dragon slayer, but I'm sure ya heard of me from somewhere," he boasted.

My hazel eyes widened. Of course! His appearance matched the description that I read of in a small article. He was Phantom Lord's most powerful S-Class wizard, being a dragon slayer and all. "Y-you're Gajeel Redfox?"

Why would I ask him that? I knew who he was, and I only made myself look even more stupid in front of him.

He picked me up suddenly, setting me on his bed. "The one and only, gihi!"

Tears were still streaming from my eyes. I still hadn't a clue as to what he was planning to do with me.

His pierced eyebrows raised, as if curious. "Why'ya still cryin'? I ain't gonna murder ya or anything like that."

I cowered away from him, and I somehow managed enough courage to speak to the terrifying looking man. "Then what are you going to do to me?"

"Nothin', it's what ya do to me. Yer my mate, Shrimpy, so all ya gotta do is do what I say and yer good. I ain't gonna mess with ya or nothin'. Yer just here to be my mate and give me strong offspring...though by the looks of ya, you better hope yer shrimpy genes don't get in one of my brats," he explained to me, his grammar nearly giving me a headache. Who taught this beast how to speak?...wait, did he...mate?!

Glancing into his eyes, I again found them cold and emotionless. "A mate?"

He nodded. "Dragonslayers have mates, just like dragons. And you, Shrimp, are mine. That means ya can't go back to yer stupid little Fairy guild anymore. It's ancient law. Salamander shoulda said somethin' about it at one point in his stupid life..."

I snorted, without thinking. "Natsu is a good guy, but his intelligence isn't his strongest aspect."

'Just like you,' I wanted to add on, but I knew better.

A blush, unfortunately, formed on my cheeks when he laughed. "Yer a good mate for insulting the pink-headed brat, gihi!"

Despite my fears toward him, I glared at him. "I wasn't insulting him! I was merely stating the truth! For example, I'm intelligent, but I'm weak in the fighting aspect. You're just like Natsu, having the intelligence of a five-year-old!"

My eyes widened when I realized that I went completely too far, not knowing where that boost of confidence came from. It didn't help that he suddenly pinned me against his bed, causing me to squeak in fear. His eyes were blazing red, evil aura flowing from his figure. I gulped, knowing that he would more than likely hurt me.

Surprisingly, he merely sniffed my neck. Then, he bit it, causing me to wince at the slight pain. However, a strange form of pleasure overtook the pain, causing me to sigh in content. I tried to stop myself, reminding myself that he was the enemy, who also kidnapped me!

Leaning back, he chuckled darkly. "Remember yer place, mate. I'm yer master, and you do as I say. But...until Master Jose and the rest of those idiots know who ya are, yer stuck in my house. But I have food stocked up fer ya."

Leaning down, he kissed me possessively and aggressively, causing me to gasp. This gave the iron dragon slayer a perfect opportunity to deepen the kiss. I tried with all of my might to fight back, but he overpowered me easily. Tears streamed down my eyes.

This...this monster stole my first kiss from me!


	5. Chapter 5

-Gajeel-

 

"So, what happened to the girl?" Jose asked me, looking through a few documents that he had scattered around.

Master Jose figured out pretty quickly that I brought another Fairy Tail member with me, and after a little explaining, he was surprisingly alright with her living with me.

I smirked. "Tha Shrimp's at my place, locked up too. She ain't goin' nowhere, and she ain't gonna do anything--except give me offspring, gihi."

He laughed. "Good, good. By the way, it's your turn to go and feed the blonde down in the dungeon. Her father should be here by the end of this week, but he never said -how- to care for her until he arrives..."

Nodding, I walked away from the main room, stopping by the kitchen to grab something edible for the busty blonde. We didn't have much around here, besides ale and beer, so I grabbed a small loaf of bread and a glass of water for her. It sounded like typical prison food anyways. Leaving the kitchen, I walked towards a small, iron door. It nearly killed me at first when I arrived at this place, having something so delicious in front of me, but I was not allowed to eat it. Luckily, I got over that struggle when the master had his other guild members fetch me enough iron to last me a life-time. Opening the door, I walked in, glancing at the few lit torches that were placed on various mantles.

"H-hey! Let me go! Let me out of here!" I heard the blonde screech out, banging on the iron bars with her tiny hands, though her hands were still bigger than my mate's hands.

I chuckled darkly towards her, sliding the food under the small space between the bars and the floor. "That's all ya get for the day. I ain't gonna feed you like the others will, cas I got a sexy chick at home just waitin' for me."

"I bet she's a lowly whore if she's stuck with you!" this Lucy chick spat out at me.

"Are you honestly calling yer guild's shorty bookworm a whore? That's shameful, blondie," I said in a mockingly disappointed tone.

She gasped. "L-Levy?"

"Yep! That shrimp is all mine now! I took her as my reward for kidnappin' ya and destroying yer guild! She's better than any amount of money!" I laughed out.

"Y-you monster!" she yelled out, glaring at me.

I shrugged, turning to walk away. "Nice chattin' with ya, Blondie."

Heading back up the stairs, I began to think. Maybe I could persuade Levy to consider liking me, but how could I do that? Obviously, she hates my guts, but maybe I can win her over with...books! Brilliant!

Rushing out of the guild, after giving Jose a signal that I fed our prisoner, I headed towards our local bookstore. I was surprised to have found it so quickly, considering that I can barely read myself. The outside of the building even reminded me of the shrimp. Once inside, I took a whiff of the place, realizing that Levy smelled a lot like this place: inked paper and tea. Glancing around, I noticed that there was a book series presented in a collectors edition. It looked pricey, but if it would get the little shrimp to talk to me, then so be it. Walking over towards the collection, I picked the box up and carried it over towards the counter. The woman behind it gulped when she saw me, nervously smiling.

"W-will that be all?" she asked shakily.

I rolled my eyes. "Yea, lady. And this ain't for me, just so ya won't think I read this trashy stuff. It's for my...wife."

Instantly, the mentioning of me having a 'wife' caused the lady to calm down, smiling more honestly this time. "Well, aren't you a sweet and loving husband. That will be one hundred jewel!"

Quickly paying her, I rushed out of the bookstore with the collectors box in my hand, walking in the direction towards my house. I knew she was a bookworm because I read, reluctantly though, about her in a random Sorcerer's Weekly magazine that I had laying around in my house. I wanted all and any information on the mother of my offspring. Once I arrived at my house, I noticed small cracks in my windows, but nothing really noticeable. That Shrimp must have been at it to manage to make cracks in my windows.

Walking up the stairs of the porch, I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, quickly shutting it back and locking it again. "Oi, Shrimp! I got ya somethin'!"

I spotted her in the corner of my living room, staring blankly at the wall with tears running down her cheeks.

"Quit yer cryin' and look at what I got for ya!" I barked at her, walking over towards her and shoving the book collection in her hands.

I noticed with approval that her eyes lit up at the books. "Y'you...where did you get these?"

"From the bookstore. I can get ya more if ya want. Just write down the books that ya want and I'll get 'em for ya. I got paid enough to have a lot of extra spendin' money," I told her.

She looked away from me, staring at the wall again. "I can't accept a gift from a...a monster."

I growled at her, picking her up by the back of her dress. "I ain't no monster, Shrimp! I'm yer frickin mate whether you like it or not, and I WILL make you love me!"

"You can't make someone love you, Gajeel! You have to prove yourself to that person--show them that you are worth loving!" she yelled back at me.

I froze, her words hitting me in the face like a wall of bricks. Was she right?

"Look, I'm not a nice person, Levy. But I can be nice around you. Will that make you like me? I mean, I got you books...don't you like books?" I asked.

She gave me a look. "I know that you have Lucy locked away at your guild. Release her, and I'll consider giving you a chance."

"No can do, Shrimp. Her father is coming by at the end of the week to get her. Even if I wanted to, I can't now. She's under close guard by Jo--hey, wait a minute... How do you know about that?"

"You left your mission document on the nightstand, and I wanted something to read. You should be more careful about where you put your things," she admitted.

I sighed. "Oh, well---hey, I'm gonna cook dinner. What are ya in the mood for?"

"You...cook?" she asked.

I nodded, smiling. "Yep! It's a secret hobby of mine, and since you're my mate, you have the right to know."

A small blush formed on her face. "It doesn't matter what you cook."

I sighed, knowing that she was still being incredibly stubborn. "Well, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me...enjoy your books, Shrimpy."

Walking away from her, I noticed that she still had tears forming in her eyes. I shook my head as I entered the kitchen, gathering the ingredients that I would need for our dinner. As I began preparing the salad, an idea formed in my head, and I smirked.

I knew of a way to mark her permanently without her approval, but it would cost a lot. It would also take a long time to get the mixture ready, but once it was complete, I'll be able to trick her into drinking it, erasing her mind and turning her into the perfect little mate.


	6. Chapter 6

-Levy-

I didn't have a way of escape, and it became hopeless to believe that I would ever see my friends again. Lucy was probably already gone. It had been almost two weeks since the both of us were kidnapped, so I knew that her father had come by to get her by now.

Gajeel leaves me alone quite often, choosing to take multiple jobs at once to save his jewel up. He claims that he's saving up enough to buy me things to keep me happy, but it won't. He doesn't understand that part. I won't be happy until I'm reunited with my family again.

I already finished the collection series that he had bought for me, and so now I was reading another series that he had gotten me. If I am to spend the rest of my life stuck in this house, then I should make the best of my new, miserable life. Using him as a means to get new books for free was my only reason to even act remotely kind around him.

He left me food for the day, as his usual routine is to wake up earlier than needed in order to fix me my meals for the day. The only thing that I have to do is simply warm them up. It, unfortunately, flatters me that he does this sort of thing for me, but it also annoys me. Cooking could keep me busy, but I also don't want to waste his food.

Currently, I was curled in my chair, a chair that he bought for me a couple of days ago. It was soft, cozy, and--best of all--orange, my favorite color! The book in my lap was already half-way read, despite him only getting this for me last night. I had nothing else to do around here, other than listen to his small, worn radio. Luckily, it picked up stations that played my favorite music.

I even cleaned his house for him! Of course, it was not out of thanks or anything of positive value. It was simply out of boredom. I wouldn't do anything to make this..this demon happy. I hated him, forever and always.

My thoughts were erased when said demon walked into the house, holding a rolled-up document in his hand.

"Shrimp! I need yer help!" Gajeel called out as he shoved the document in my face.

I skimmed over the document, giving him a look. "And just -why- would I help you?" Rolling the paper back up, I shoved it in his pocket.

Suddenly, though it didn't surprise me, he pinned me against the wall, growling in my ear. "Because, if you don't...you'll regret it, little girl.."

My eyes widened at how low and raspy his voice was. My cheeks stained red as I felt a fluttering sensation in my stomach--embarrassing, really. Him forcing me to do things wasn't at all new.

"So...from what I read, you need me to translate a few things on an ancient tribal cave?" I hesitantly asked, afraid of his new..sensual tone.

He smirked. "Atta girl--Now we're talkin'!" He carried me by my neck and dropped me back in my chair. "Yep, all ya gotta do. Now, pack yer clothes and let's go! And if you even -think- about running from me, I'll catch ya and put ya on a leash, just try me."

Gulping, I nodded shakily before rushing off to my room, grabbing my clothes that, again, he bought me and shoving them in a bag that, once again, he bought me.

He buys me too many things...

Rushing out of my room, I swung my backpack over my shoulder and smiled slightly, trying my best to contain the excitement that was growing on me. Despite the fact that I'd be stuck with Gajeel Redfox, I was still going to be able to go outside and go on a job for the first time in weeks!

"Ready, Small Fry?" Gajeel asked me as he slung his own backpack over his shoulders.

I nodded, perhaps too excited. "Of course!"

He smiled, wrapping an arm around me, his hand resting a little too close towards my butt. "Then let's go, sweetheart." Opening the door, he led me outside and down the stone pathway.

I secretly hoped and prayed that a member of Fairy Tail was nearby, on a job of their own. Even if it was a member that was not strong enough to take on Gajeel, they could at least turn back and inform the guild of my location.

"Lookin' fer someone? Ya ain't gonna find any fairy trash around here. I made sure of that..."

Tears formed in my eyes at the sound of that. How was I even to know if everyone survived the battle? For all I know, the guild could be destroyed forever. "Why are you...why are you so cruel to me?"

He stopped suddenly, glancing down at me with an odd emotion. "I ain't tryin' ta be cruel, Shrimp. I love you."

My eyes widen, and I couldn't help the next words that formed out of my mouth. "That's the biggest load of bullcrap that I've EVER heard! I'd believe that dragons still roam this earth before I'd believe that -you- of all people love -me-!"

His arms wrapped around me even tighter, bringing me closer to him. "You're my mate, and I know that you aren't ever gonna love me. But I'll find a way to -make- you if I have to."

My heart dropped in fear out of that sentence. Who knew what he could possibly have in store for me.

"Now, let's catch that train, Shrimp. We have a long ride ahead of us..."


	7. Chapter 7

-Levy-

"So. . .you get motion sickness too? It must be a dragon slayer thing, I guess."

Gajeel and I were currently on the train that was heading towards a nearby town. From there, we would have to hike up the neighboring mountain, where the cave was located. According to the job quest, there was a hidden treasure located through a secret passage. But in order to gain access to that secret passage, we had to know exactly how. The problem with this was the fact that the instructions written on the wall of the cave were written in an ancient language that hardly anyone understood. Luckily for Gajeel, unluckily for myself, I happened to have knowledge of this language. I could read it, write it, and speak it very fluently.

Gajeel's face was tinted green, and he was sweating profusely. I almost wanted to laugh at him, but I knew that he'd probably harm and/or kill me for doing that. He was a terrifying monster, one that I was stuck with for probably the rest of my life. My comrades would probably try to look for me, but now, I was beginning to doubt that they'd ever find me.

A gasp escaped my mouth when Gajeel suddenly laid his head on my lap. A bright blush coated my cheeks, and I started to shake some. Knowing how strong he was, I knew that I wouldn't be able to pry him off of me. "U-um, Gajeel...?"

"Yea Shrimp?" he asked with a groan, nuzzling his face deeper into my abdomen, which caused me to blush even more.

"Y-you're, um...well, you know...too close. . ." I stumbled out, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of my face.

He chuckled a little. "Too close ta what, gihi." With a hint of a smirk, he bit down on my thigh, licking the wound before glancing upwards, "I don't think I'm close enough, ta be honest with ya, gihi."

Tears welled in my eyes from the pain of the bite and from him harassing me like this. Had he no decency towards women? "P-please. . ."

"Beggin' for me now, aren't ya? Too bad we're in public, or I'd give ya one hell of an experience," he winked at me, before turning green again and gagging.

I rolled my eyes, pushing him off of my lap while he was at his weakest. "Baka. . ."

~~~

I leaped off of the train at the exact moment it stopped, needing to have at least a few seconds away from that iron hearted jerk. Pulling my dress down, I glanced around at the town. It wasn't as big as Magnolia, but it wasn't a small town either, right in the middle I'd say. Behind the town rested a large mountain, the mouth of the cave easy to spot from my current location. I just couldn't figure out how we could even climb the mountain. It seemed very dangerous, but this was Phantom Lord. They didn't care about support and friendship. All they cared about was making their jewel and ruining people's lives.

"Don't run from me again, Shrimp. Ya got it?!" Gajeel growled lowly towards me, picking me up by the fabric of my dress.

I screamed slightly, kicking my feet in the air. "Hey! L-let me go!!"

He smirked, dropping me back to the ground. I whimpered slightly when my knee scraped again the stone pathway that we were on, blood seeping from the tiny cuts.

"Alright, Sweetheart. Listen up, I'm gonna do all the climbing, and yer gonna ride on my back. I ain't gonna let yer pretty little feet get all blistered up," he explained to me, rushing through the town.

I caught up with him, blushing at the fact that he's trying to do something considerate for once, besides buying me a bunch of things. "Um, thank you. . ."

"No problem, Shrimp. I need ya as beautiful as possible when we go back to Phantom Lord to get the reward. I'm gonna rub yer beauty in all the guy's faces! They're gonna be so jealous that I gotta hot girlfriend and they don't!" he laughed out, leading me towards the forests that were behind the small town.

I spotted odd little creatures scurrying about, but I ignored them. My face was probably so red that I could put Natsu's fire to shame.

Natsu. . .

He was probably worried about Lucy, no, was worried about Lucy. They were so close, and she was just...taken from him. I knew that he loved her as more than a friend. He asked me to help him think of ways to confess to her and to keep it a secret.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, Shortie?"

I glanced over at him, startled that he had a look of actual worry on his face. I sighed. "Just...friends."

"Friends huh? Well, you can make new friends! I think you would get along with my best friend, Juvia! I'll tell her to come by tha house and keep ya company one day. Maybe you two can go out and do girl stuff sometime. . ." he offered, patting the top of my head.

I started becoming confused. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

He sighed. "I've always wanted ta be nice to you, even back when I beat the crap out of you and nailed ya to that tree. I didn't hurt ya because I wanted to. I had to. Jose has eyes everywhere on us, except when we go out on missions outside of Magnolia. He can't spy on us past Magnolia. Why did ya really think I wanted ya to come along with me, huh?"

I shrugged. "To help you with decoding the instructions?"

"Shrimp, I have a book on decoding ancient languages. I don't like to read, but I will if I have to. Levy, I brought you with me because I...I wanna show ya my soft side, the part of me that I held onto for my mate...you."


	8. Chapter 8

-Levy-

After a few hours of hiking, we finally managed to reach the opening of this large cave, a cave that the local's call Death's Entrance. Despite having a couple of hours of thinking time, I still couldn't get over what Gajeel had said to me. His soft side? Was that even possible with a monster such as Gajeel Redfox? It didn't seem possible to me, but when I glanced into his eyes, I saw nothing more but truth and determination((Frisk?! How did you get in this fanfiction?!)). He was serious about this, and I had nothing more to do than wait and see what would happen.

The cave entrance itself was not even guarded. There were no traps, no hidden weapons, nothing. And that was incredibly strange to me. Gajeel didn't seem phased by it and walked straight in.

"Gajeel! You can't just walk straight into a dangerous place without checking for traps!" I scolded him.

He chuckled with his signature 'gihi' sound. "Ya know that there aren't any traps around here. Don't worry about me, Shrimp."

Crossing my arms, I pouted. "I am not worried about you."

He didn't say anything after that, choosing instead to walk deeper into the dark cavern. Sighing, I followed him, using my solid script magic to write 'light' in the air, holding the word and using it as a torch for us.

"That's a pretty cool magic ya got there. So yer words...come to life?" Gajeel asked as we walked on.

I blushed. "Well, not exactly. But I guess that's pretty close. My magic isn't that powerful."

"Don't think like that, Levy. Yer powerful in your own way," Gajeel said rather softly, stopping in front of a large stone wall.

I blushed, forcing myself to not tear up in front of this iron monster. That was one of the sweetest, most encouraging things that anyone had ever said to me, but I didn't want him to know that.

Shaking my head to rid myself of thoughts, I observed the stone wall that was in front of us. The surface was swarmed with ancient writings, a language that I could luckily read.

"Can ya tell what it says?" Gajeel asked.

I nodded. "Yea, um. . .it's a story really, about an ancient tribe that used to live in this cave. They had magical abilities, the first humans to do so. In fact, it states that this was a form of how humans were able to learn and possess magic in the first place."

"Really?" Gajeel questioned.

"Yes. However, treasure hunters stumbled upon this site. They observed the tribe in secrecy, gaining the knowledge of magic themselves. They used this knowledge to wipe out this tribe. This. . ." my eyes widened at the realization of the next few paragraphs, "it says that the person who wrote this was the last survivor of the tribe. He pleads for someone to find his young son, whom he's hidden deep in the forest. He pleads for someone to find his son, Gajeel..."

I glanced back at Gajeel, whose eyes were very widened. "Gajeel, do you know about this?"

"I don't know a darn thing about this cave. I don't remember any of my childhood before Metalicana found me," he admitted.

Still, in shock, I glanced back at the wall. "It says, I have fled, but my son will know where I am. Bring him to me, and I will give you the location of our tribe's greatest treasure. Arinille Redfox. The date that was signed was over four hundred years ago!! Maybe these are your ancestors?"

He shrugged, moving some of his hair from his eyes. "Who knows. Let's just look around and find this stupid treasure. I want more jewel!"

Rolling my eyes, I nodded and looked around, Gajeel doing the same. For hours we looked around the cave, even getting separated during the process. By sundown, I was highly exhausted, leaning against the wall in one of the tunnels that I was exploring. Suddenly, a shriek escaped my mouth when I fell backward, falling on my back in a very darkened room. The only thing that lit the room was a single magic torch. And as I glanced around, I noticed that the floor was littered with various jewels and gold. A pedestal rested in the center, with a large yet strange artifact resting on the mantle. It was in the shape of a staff, yet it was decorated with gold and fine jewelry. The top of the staff was a skull made out of a clear substance, perhaps a crystal or even diamond. It certainly appeared quite valuable, and I walked over towards it, not thinking about any potential dangers and picking the staff up. At first, nothing seemed to have been triggered, until I noticed that the room was getting more narrow by the second. With a gasp, I realized that the walls were closing in on me!

"Oh-oh no! Gajeel! Gajeel!!" I screeched out, whimpering as the walls closed in further on me.

Never in a million years would I expect to die like this. I was sure that it would have been by Gajeel himself than any other thing. But by stone walls? What a fine way to die!

"Gajeel!! Gajeel, where are you?! Please save me!!" I cried out, tears pouring from my eyes.

I could see the light of the area where I fell through, but it was much too high for me to climb or jump. I tried to climb, but it only resulted in me falling down.

Defeated, I collapsed on the ground, accepting the fact that I was going to die. I would never see Fairy Tail or my nakama again.

"Shrimp!" came the frantic cry of Gajeel.

It caused me to sit up, glancing up at the entrance where a panicking Gajeel was standing. "Gajeel, help me!"

"Hold on, Levy! Grab this!" he called out, actually using my name for once.

Suddenly, his arm hardened into a metal pillar, and it extended to reach my level. Quickly, I grabbed on, and Gajeel pulled me up just as the walls were smashed together. Sniffing, I immediately curled into Gajeel, crying in his chest. His arms wrapped around me tightly, his lips kissing the top of my head.

"I thought I lost ya, Shrimp. I thought I'd never be able to hold ya like this ever again. I'm sorry that I didn't get here sooner," Gajeel croaked out, burying his face in my blue hair.

Sighing, not able to lash out at him, I gave in to his emotions. "You saved me, Gajeel, and that's all that matters."

Picking me up, he carried me out of the tunnel and, eventually, out of the cave.

"Let's go home."


	9. Chapter 9

-Gajeel-

It's been a week since Levy and I returned from the cave, and I've been making sure that she stayed relaxed and didn't do much. I was worried because after we were about to leave the cave, I heard her wince, and we realized that the walls had managed to snag Her foot before I could pull her all the way out. We both didn't realize due to our adrenaline.

Today, I had to check in with Master Jose, being informed that he had a big task for me to complete today. I wasn't sure what it was, but it honestly made me a tad nervous. Whenever Jose wanted to speak to me personally, it usually meant that we had a large scale request, like the one with those Fairy Tail wizards. They probably weren't even as weak as Jose claimed them to be. I mean, Shrimp is from that guild, and she's strong as heck!

As I entered the room, I glanced around and noticed that the other guild members were snickering at me. I didn't spot my friend Juvia among the crowd, which was really odd. Where was she?

I growled. "What are ya punks laughin' at, huh?!"

"How's your little wife treating you, eh? Do you come home to a nice dinner with a sappy kiss on the cheek?" one of them snickered out, the others laughing with him.

"What's the big deal? Just because I have a girl to mess around with any time that I want to doesn't mean nothin'! I can still kick yer sorry butts anytime I want to!" I yelled out, taking a fighting stance.

The others also took a fighting stance, but before we could begin the fight, my opponents froze in place, followed by Jose's chuckle.

"My, my. Gajeel, I didn't expect you to still have such a temper. Forget about those brats and come here. The matter is urgent," he informed me, beckoning me to walk closer.

Nodding slightly, I complied and walked towards his throne-like chair. "Master Jose, what is it?"

He smirked. "You see, word is getting around the city that my dragon slayer is going soft due to him finding his mate. And you see, we can't have that Gajeel. In other words, I want you to get rid of your mate."

"Are you serious?! I ain't doin' that! Don't ya know anything about dragon slayers and their mates? The only way you can eventually get over her is if she's k--" I stopped myself from finishing the sentence, but it was too late.

A smirk formed on Master's face. "Are you saying that the only way for me to get my dangerous dragon slayer back is to kill Levy McGarden?"

I growled loudly, my eyes glowing with anger. "I swear on everything if you even DARE to harm her, I will--"

"Now who said I would harm her? Oh no, I'm no monster. But you, you are the iron monster that everyone fears. It's up to you to kill Miss McGarden," Master Jose chuckled out.

A roar escaped my mouth. "Are ya crazy?! I'm not killing my own mate! I lo--"

"How precious, Gajeel Redfox is in love with a pathetic excuse for a mage. Do you get it now? You're letting yourself become weak! And I will say this one time. Kill Levy, or you will be kicked out of Phantom Lord permanently." he said lowly.

A slight smirk edged its way on my face. "Is that all? Well, consider this crappy guild one member less! We're outta here!"

Jose quickly rose from his seat. "You can't do that! You were supposed to feel pathetic for going soft!"

"You may think I'm a wimp for fallin' in love, but I don't give a crap! Bye loser!" I called out, leaving the guild.

I knew he'd be after me, so I couldn't waste any time. As quick as I could, I rushed towards my house, barging inside.

"Gajeel? Is that you?" I heard Levy call from the bedroom.

Rushing into the bedroom, I grabbed our bags and slung them on top of the bed, slamming the closet doors open and stuffing the bags with our clothes.

"Gajeel, what's going on?!" my little mate asked frantically.

"We're leaving, Levy. I don't know where yet, but we're leavin',"I told her in a panicked state.

Grabbing some of Levy's books, I stuffed them in the bags as well, zipping them up and slipping them on my back. Quickly, I picked Levy up and ran out of the house.

She glanced up at me with wide eyes, holding on. "Tell me what's going on?"

I sighed. "Jose wants ya dead, Levy. He doesn't like how soft I gotten. And he wanted me to kill ya, but I ain't doin' that! I love ya, and I ain't gonna get rid of ya for selfish reasons, not anymore."

She looked away, resting her head against my chest. "I love you too. . ."

Out of shock, I stopped. "What?"

"I said...I love you, Gajeel," she whispered out.

Smiling brightly, I kissed the top of her head. "Gihi, I'm so happy that ya do. Now, we need to find a new place to live."

"Let's go to Fairy Tail," she suggested.

"Are ya crazy?! They'll kill me the moment I step inside!" I blurted out.

My little bookworm glanced up, smiling. "Not if I assure them that you've changed and want to join us. Makarov welcomes in those for a second chance, and I know that he will welcome you in as well."

"Ya sure about that?" I questioned.

She nodded, smiling. "Positive."

Nodding, I headed towards the guild, hoping that they wouldn't be too mad at me.

~~

The moment we got there, balls of fire were shot at us, more than likely Salamander's doing. Levy squeaked when one barely missed catching her hair on fire.

Growling, I raced towards the doors. "Cut it out, Salamander! I have your guild's little bookworm!"

Suddenly, the doors opened, and Levy was snatched from my hold. "Hey! Don't take my girl away from m-ACK!"

The full force of Fairy Tail was against me, and I knew that I couldn't beat them all. I held my ground, but I refused to fight. Fighting would only give them the wrong idea, and I wanted them to know that I was a wimp, that I didn't want to fight back this time.

"No! Guys, stop!" I heard Shrimp yell, standing in front of me.

A tall guy with orange hair huffed. "Levy! Get out of the way so that we can defeat him!"

"I won't! He's not Kurogane anymore, I swear! He's only Gajeel Redfox, a dragon slayer in need of a new guild to join!" she spoke out, her short height barely giving me any defense against her guild.

"And why would you care, Levy? He kidnapped you! He's apart of Phantom Lord, who kidnapped Lucy too! And we're only lucky that we managed to rescue her from her dad!" A dark headed guy yelled out, his boxers being his only source of clothing.

She grabbed onto my shirt. "Because I love him! And I'm his mate!"

The large collection of gasps flooded this area, and a short old man trotted through the crowd. "Alright, children. Enough of this. I will decide for myself if whether or not Gajeel is worthy of joining our guild."

"He's not worthy of anything, especially Levy!" Natsu yelled out in disgust.

I couldn't take it anymore. "I'm well aware that I'm not worthy of anything. I'm sure as heck not worthy of a woman as wonderful as Levy. But I swear that I'll prove myself, even if it means life-threatening situations. I don't give a crap."

The guild grew silent until a tall redheaded woman stood out from the crowd. "His words hold truth, so I think we should give him a chance. One little chance."

"I agree with Erza. Perhaps we should all go inside and have a drink," the old man suggested.

~~

It didn't take that long for the guild to somewhat accept me. I was leaning against one of the booths. I had a drink in my hand, and my girl was curled up against me with a book in her own hands. At the moment, my life was complete.

Until that is, a loud noise was heard. The roof of the newly repaired guild fell down in a crumbled mess. As quick as I could, I grabbed Shrimp and moved her out of harm's way, blocking the attack from harming her.

"What is that?!" Levy called out in fear.

I glanced up at the hole in the ceiling, my eyes widening at the figures who crawled in.

"Phantom Lord. . ."


	10. Chapter 10

-Levy-

The entire guild of Phantom Lord was here, all barging into our guild through the roof. Gajeel kept me behind him, growling at the intruders. Because of his protection, I couldn't exactly get a good look at everyone.

"Levy, when I tell ya to, I want ya to run to yer house, got it?" he told me.

"But--"

"Just do what I say, okay?! I don't want ya to get hurt!" he told me in a more stern tone.

I sighed, defeated. "Fine. . ."

A dark chuckle was then heard, causing everyone to glance in the direction of that laugh. Jose was standing there, powerful and dark magic aura surrounding his frame. His gaze was focused primarily on Gajeel. "So, you decided to leave us for the lowly Fairy Tail guild, eh?"

"I've had more fun for the week I've been here than the lifetime I've been with ya," my mate growled out, backing up slightly as to shield me more from his old Guild Master.

Jose only chuckled even more. "I'm hurt, Gajeel. I practically raised you as my own son, and here you are, betraying me with my sworn enemy. Is she really that good in bed?"

A blush formed on my cheeks, my mind wandering to our activities from last night. Gajeel didn't seem phased by any of it, only growling louder. "She's my mate, and ya know what. Since yer about to die anyway, ya might as well know somethin'. My shrimp is hella good in bed!"

With that said, he leaped forward, punching Jose in the face. His hands had transformed into metal pillars at the last second, causing Jose to spit a couple of teeth out. "If that's how you're going to play, Gajeel, then I accept this battle!"

In a flash, both guilds were in an all-out battle. Knowing that I couldn't do much, I crawled over the bar counter and hid inside one of the shelves. Gajeel didn't want me fighting, and I didn't want to be a reason for him to lose any of the fights that he would be participating in. However, this plan was ruined when a guild member from Phantom Lord leaned over the counter, smiling evilly when he saw me.

"So you're the one who stole our dragon slayer away from us, eh? Well, I might as well kill you now and we can win Kurogane back over somehow," he mused, grabbing me roughly and yanking me out of my hiding spot.

Glaring at him, I used my magic ability to write fire in the air, tossing the word onto the guy and lighting him on fire.

"Argh! You brat!" he yelped out, dropping me and rolling on the ground to put the fire out.

I used this opportunity to run away, heading straight towards the battle. Natsu and Gajeel were fighting together against Jose, with Master Makarov's help. An unfamiliar blunette was aiding Gray against one of the Phantom Lord Guild Members. Lucy was currently using her celestial keys against our enemies herself, and it made me realize something. Everyone except for myself was fighting, and it caused guilt to flood through me. I needed to fight for the sake of my guild. These were my nakama, and they needed my help, no matter how weak I was!

Growling slightly, I used my solid script magic, writing various words in the air. 'Fire' 'Lightning' 'Poison' 'Swords', and any words that I could think of that would result in serious injury towards the opposing side. One of the Phantom Lord guild members lashed out at me, cutting me across the cheek. Glaring at him, I sent another one of my destructive words flying towards him, injuring him enough as to where it knocked him out. Glancing around, I gasped when I saw that Jose had Gajeel in his grip, slowly crushing his wind-pipes. Natsu was knocked out, and Makarov had hardly any energy left to fight back.

"Gajeel!!" I called out, realizing my mistake too late.

Jose glanced over at me, smirking in delight. "Ahh, there she is. Miss McGarden, a pleasure to see you, yes?"

He frightened me quite a bit, but I held my ground. "Let him go, Jose! I'm the one who caused your guild to lose its dragon slayer. It's me you want to kill, not Gajeel."

"Hmm, well you do make a very good point," he said, dropping Gajeel without a care.

My mate coughed up a little blood, looking up at me with tearful eyes. "Shrimp, d-don't..."

I smiled towards him. "I love you."

He smiled back, a tear rolling down his face. "I love ya too, Levy."

"This is really disgusting," Jose grumbled out as he grabbed hold of me, digging his sharp nails into my skin, causing me to cry out.

"Let her go, you greedy moron!" Gajeel griped out, shakily standing to his feet.

Jose chuckled darkly, squeezing the breath out of me. "Oh? And what are you going to do about it?"

A sob escaped from my mouth. "G-Gajeel, help...p-please!"

As if my plea set something off, a loud roar escaped from my mate's mouth. A very powerful aura surrounded him, circling Gajeel like a cyclone. His skin hardened into iron, jet black in color, and his hair grew wilder and thicker. His eyes brightened into a glowing purple, and his fangs elongated. Even Jose gasped at this transformation.

"What is this?! You've never had such a form before!" Jose yelled out, growling slightly, though I could easily sense the fear in his voice.

Gajeel chuckled, his voice even deeper and more raspy than usual. "My ultimate form, something I've had no use for until now. Jet Black Iron Dragon Mode!"

My eyes widened at this. The power that was being emitted from Gajeel was unlike anything I've ever felt. Even Natsu's dragon force didn't emit a power this concentrated.

His purple eyes narrowed at the sight of Jose choking me. "Put my mate down, Jose."

The evil guild master chuckled. "And if I don't?"

"I'll make yer death even more painful!" Gajeel roared out, freeing me from Jose's hold in a matter of seconds.

His jet-black iron claws made short work of the guild master, his now enhanced speed giving Jose no chance to fight back. Blood splattered everywhere, making me nauseated. We usually never had battles that end in a bloodbath, something Gajeel would have to learn.

The Phantom Lord guild members ceased their fighting when they realized that their master was dead, all fleeing away.

I rushed over to Gajeel, pulling him away from the bloody corpse and wrapping my arms around him, feeling his iron scales retreating to reveal his usual tanned skin again. A soft laugh was heard as large arms wrapped around me.

"Are ya alright, Shrimp?" he asked.

I smiled, kissing his bare chest.

"I'm perfectly fine now."


	11. Epilogue

When most think of Gajeel Redfox, they think of him as his past self. They remember him as a ruthless killer, a body with no soul or emotions. They remember him as a pawn under the eye of an evil mastermind.

But when the guild of Fairy Tail thinks of Gajeel Redfox, they think of him as his present self. They respect his desire to go out on missions and help others. The awe at his protectiveness towards his mate, and his love towards his infant twins. This is who Gajeel Redfox, a once deadly mage, is today.

No longer is he known for as an iron monster, but as a respected member of Fairy Tail. He is known as a loving father and husband, a man who would do anything to keep his family safe.

He had changed for the better, his powerful abilities adding on to Fairy Tail's already superb strength, creating the strongest guild in all of Fiore, perhaps even more. Nothing could harm the guild of Fairy Tail, for now anyway.

And this change was all possible, thanks to Levy McGarden, for helping Gajeel change his ways. Together, their love inspired others, Natsu more specifically. He finally confessed his feelings to Lucy, revealing who she was to him.

Even Gray found love, with Gajeel's friend Juvia surprisingly.

Gajeel Redfox was truly a good man under layers of hurt and pain. His past was nothing to him now, and he didn't worry about the pain that he had once suffered. Through love, he was taught that growing bitter over negative things would do nothing more than turn one into a true beast.

He would teach his children what their mother taught him. His children would be the opportunity of a second chance that he secretly wanted. They would grow up and have the happy childhood that he desired for a long time. He would live that happy childhood through his twins, through Rogue and Gale.

His life was now complete, free of corruption and murder. Free of hatred and despair. There was nothing that would come between the happiness that he had discovered now, and he would make sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who decided to read this old fic of mine!


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